II  B  R.AR.Y 

OF  THE 
UNIV 


C  K.O  1  1   I 

LINOIS 

30.7 

>.  31-^8 

gric. 

. 


CIRCULATING 


CHECK  FOR  UNBOUND 
r'ROULATING  COPY 


.CIRCULATING 


CHECK  FOR  UNBOUND 
CIRCULATING  COPY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLLINOIS, 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

URBANA,   JANUARY,    1897. 


BULLETIN  No.  46. 


CONTENTS. 
EXPERIMENTS  WITH   CORN — 

EFFECT   OF   CULTIVATION. 

NEW    METHOD   OF   DETERMINING   COMPARATIVE   YIELDS. 

ATTEMPTS  TO  GROW  CRIMSON  CLOVER. 

ON   THE  IMPROVEMENT   OF   RETENTIVE  CLAYS  :   DRAINAGE    OF 

THE    SO-CALLED    "HARD  PAN"   LANDS    OF    SOUTHERN 

ILLINOIS. 
ON  THE   IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  PHYSIOLOGICAL  REQUIREMENTS 

OF  THE  ANIMAL  BODY;    RESULTS  OF  AN  ATTEMPT  TO 

GROW  CATTLE  WITHOUT  COARSE  FEED. 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  CORN,  1896. 

Of  the  many  experiments  with  corn  that  are  in  progress  at 
this  Station  but  two  are  reported  in  the  present  bulletin,  other 
apparent  results  being  held  for  further  confirmation. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  desire  to  consider  the  effect  of 
meteorological  conditions  upon  the  experiments  reported,  there  is 
given  on  the  next  page  a  table  of  temperatures  and  rainfall  as 
observed  at  this^station  from  January,  1889,  to  December,  1896, 
inclusive. 

Experiment  No.  g.     Depth  of  Cultivation.  • 

PLANTING. — For  the  purpose  of  continuing  experiments  in 
cultivation,  a  small  field  was  planted  May  nth  to  a  variety  known 
as  Burr's  white,  and  immediately  divided  into  ten  plats  lying  side 
by  side,  each  eight  rows  in  width,  twenty-four  in  length,  and  well 
protected  by  marginal  plantings.  The  field  was  longest  from 
north  to  south  and  plat  I  was  at  the  north  end.  349 


350 


BULLETIN  NO.   46. 

METEOROLOGICAL  RECORDS,  1889-1896. 
TEMPERATURE,  DEGREES,  FAHRENHEIT. 


\_January, 


January. 

February. 

March. 

April. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

1889 

29.28 

57 

-2 

23-36 

53 

-7-5 

39-92 

72 

18 

51-9 

75 

25 

1890 

33-5 

66 

-5 

34.66 

68 

7 

33-35 

61 

2 

52.32 

81 

29 

1891 

30.26 

57 

6 

30-45 

61 

-9 

32-55 

65 

-I 

52.78 

81 

22 

1892 

19.2 

57 

-15 

33 

55 

* 

36.1 

69 

* 

48.6 

70-5 

26 

1893 

14.8 

48 

* 

25.8 

5i 

* 

37-8 

76 

* 

49-3 

75 

3<> 

1894 

29.4 

64 

-21 

24.7 

58 

-5 

43-5 

77 

IO 

51-4 

85 

25 

1895 

19-5 

57 

-8 

17.9 

65 

-20.5 

35-9 

84 

7 

52.3 

83 

27 

1896 

28.1 

52 

-5 

29.6 

68 

-4 

34-4 

67 

6 

57-6 

86 

21 

Wh»le  pried.  . 

25-5 

66 

*-2I 

27-43 

68 

*-20-5 

36-69 

84 

*-i 

52.02 

88 

21 

May. 

June. 

J«iy- 

August. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

1889 

59-2 

9i 

28 

65.5 

88 

40 

72-7 

90.5 

50 

69.2 

89 

29-5 

1890 

58.27 

87 

33 

74-56 

96 

47 

73-02 

97-5 

45 

68.74 

96 

44-5 

1891 

58.4 

9i 

30 

71.9 

93 

49 

70.12 

93 

42 

70.21 

99 

40 

1892 

57-9 

82 

36 

7.0.6 

94 

5i 

73-3 

96-5 

46 

71-5 

94 

47 

1893 

57-4 

84 

37 

70.5 

93 

53 

76.4 

98 

48 

71.1 

96 

37 

1894 

59-6 

89 

32 

73-4 

97 

34 

73-8 

98 

47 

72-3 

99 

4i 

1895 

59-4 

95 

28 

73-3 

98.5 

42 

71-3 

94 

43 

73-2 

97 

48 

1896 

68.2 

9i 

45 

70.2 

92 

49 

73-8 

95 

49 

72 

97 

44 

Vhol«  p*riod  .  . 

59-79 

95 

28 

71.24 

98-5 

34 

73-05 

98 

42 

71-03 

99 

29.  5 

September. 

October. 

November. 

December. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

1889 

61.32 

87-5 

32 

47.26 

82 

25 

36.82 

62 

4 

42.71 

66 

15 

1890 

60.46 

89 

33 

52-07 

76 

27 

42.62 

68 

21 

30.91 

58 

8 

1891 

69.2 

96 

4i 

51-3 

88.5 

27 

35-69 

6? 

2 

37 

60 

ii 

1892 

63-9 

87 

42 

53-6 

88.5 

19 

34-8 

64 

7 

27.7 

60 

-7 

1893 

66.5 

97 

3i 

53-3 

84 

18 

37-3 

75 

6 

30 

63 

-6 

1894         65 

94 

38 

5i-9 

84 

28 

35-9 

67 

12 

32-9 

59 

-4 

1895          67.7 

94 

32 

45-9 

75 

12 

38.2 

73 

4 

3i-i 

59 

-2 

1896         61.9 

9i 

30 

48.8 

7Q 

24 

39-9 

74 

9 

33-3 

62 

8 

Whole  ptried  .  .    64  .  49 

97 

3° 

50-51 

88.5 

12 

37-65 

75 

2 

33-20 

66 

-7 

RAINFALL,  INCHES. 


Jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

April. 

May. 

June. 

J«iy. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Qct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Year. 

1889 

1.48 

2.08 

1.61 

.61 

5-52 

6.81 

5.81 

.60 

2-74 

1.42 

4.38 

1.82 

34.88 

1890 

5.26 

1.87 

2.70 

4.11 

3-56 

3-8o 

2.83 

1-93 

1.19 

2-35 

1.63 

•05 

31.28 

1891 

-99 

2.60 

3-55 

3-54 

.89 

2.08 

1.41 

2.86 

.41 

1.29 

5.58 

i-53 

26.73 

1892 

•79 

2.64 

2-59 

6-45 

7.86 

5-36 

2.50 

2-45 

•  93 

•93 

4-95 

1.62 

39-05 

1893 

1.05 

4.48 

3-20 

7.68 

4-83 

i-55 

•59 

.06 

3-62 

1.14 

2.98 

1.09 

32.37 

1894 

i-95 

1.32 

2.41 

1.86 

3-32 

1.78 

i.  08 

2.06 

4.21 

•5i 

2-77 

1.44 

24.72 

1895 

1.36 

•  52 

.70 

2.42 

2.20 

2.24 

3.61 

1.81 

5-27 

.21 

3-07 

5-71 

29.12 

1896 

1.  12 

i-95 

1.22 

1.89 

5-62 

2.98 

7.87 

3-74 

5-84 

•  42 

2.87 

•39 

35-91 

AT«.  .  . 

1-75 

2.18 

2.24 

3-57 

4-22 

3-32 

3-21 

1.94 

3-02 

1-03 

3-53 

1.70 

31-75 

*  Record  incomplete. 


i897.] 


CORN   EXPERIMENTS,    1896. 


351 


CULTIVATION. — Plat  4  was  cultivated  one  inch  deep ;  plat  6, 
two  inches ;  plat  7,  four  inches ;  plat  9,  six  inches ;  and  plats  2,  5, 
and  8,  three  inches  deep,  all  with  a  harrow-toothed  cultivator  that 
could  be  accurately  adjusted  to  the  specified  depths.  As  a  check, 
plat  I  was  left  uncultivated,  but  heavily  mulched  ;  plat  3  was  left 
uncultivated,  except  that  weeds  were  removed  with  a  hoe ;  and 
plat  10  was  deeply  worked  with  a  double  shovel  plow.  The  eight 
cultivated  plats  were  worked  upon  the  same  days,  viz.,  May  26th, 
June  6th,  June  i/th,  and  June  25th,  and  plat  I  was  mulched  with 
grass  six  inches  deep  on  the  day  of  the  first  cultivation. 

HARVESTING. — After  removing  margins  each  plat  was  divided, 
November  23d,  into  four  sections  and  each  quarter  harvested 
separately.  In  this  manner  one  plat  was  not  finished  before 
another  was  commenced,  but  the  work  was  done  by  quarters  in 
regular  succession  from  I  to  10.  A  further  advantage  of  this 
method  of  harvesting  is  to  discover  if  any  section  of  any  plat  is 
particularly  deficient  in  stand. 

Table  I  gives  treatment  of  each  plat  together  with  relative 
location,  yields  by  quarters  expressed  in  pounds  of  ears,  and  total 
yields  per  acre,  allowing  75  pounds  of  ears  for  one  bushel  of 
shelled  corn. 

TABLE  i.    TREATMENT  AND  YIELD  IN  POUNDS  OF  EARS  PER  QUARTER  PLAT,  AND 
IN  BUSHELS  OF  GRAIN  PER  ACRE. 


Plat 

Treatment. 

First 
quarter. 

Second 
quarter. 

Third 
quarter. 

Fourth 
quarter. 

Yield  pei- 
acre,  bu. 

i 

no5/ 

08  «/ 

104  */> 

io63/ 

04.  •» 

2 

Cultivated  3  in.  deep  

nn]4 

Q4  1A 

qt>X 

93 

36.2 

-I 

Uncultivated  

Q7 

97  i/ 

QCJ/ 

q64/ 

87 

4 

93  «/ 

94 

Q43/ 

97  H 

85-5 

c 

Cultivated  3  in.     '        

86  V> 

8qV 

94  V 

qi3/ 

81.6 

6 

QO5^ 

01  •/ 

qo3/ 

W/t 

82 

7 

Cultivated  4  in.     u      

8?  y> 

95«2 

96 

91% 

83.4 

S 

Cultivated  3  in.     "      

<M1A 

8q 

100^2 

96i( 

85-3 

q 

Cultivated  6  in.     "      

Sort 

92 

96 

106 

86.3 

IO 

Plowed  (shovel  plow)  

84K 

88# 

92  l/2 

93^ 

80.7 

DISCUSSION. — It  would  be  difficult  indeed  to  construct  a  table 
that  would  show  greater  indifference  to  cultivation.  The  highest 
yield  was  on  the  plat  that  was  mulched,  the  next  highest  on  the 
one  that  was  entirely  uncultivated,  and  the  next  upon  plat  9,  culti- 
vated six  inches  deep. 

A  close  study  of  the  yield  by  quarters  does  not  reveal  any 
particularly  poor  spot,  although  in  general  the  middle  of  the  field 
shows  a  tendency  to  slightly  lower  yields.  Nor  can  this  tendency 
be  connected  with  any  particular  treatment.  It  is  true  that  this 
same  land  had  been  used  for  two  seasons  before  for  the  "time  plant- 


352  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  {January, 

ing"  experiments,  and  the  early  plantings  had  been  on  plats  I  and 
2,  and  the  latest  on  plats  9  and  10.  As  both  extremes  of  planting 
had  given  minimum  yields,  it  is  therefore  apparent  that  the  plats 
along  the  middle  of  the  field  had  for  two  years  previous  given 
larger  crops,  and  were  for  that  reason  less  able  to  produce  maxi- 
mum yields  under  conditions  equal  with  the  others.  If  this  be  con- 
sidered, these  slight  differences  tend  to  disappear,  and  if  not,  they 
are  unexplainable  on  the  basis  of  this  experiment.  In  any  event 
the  comparatively  low  yield  of  plat  IO  is  unaccountable,  unless  it 
be  attributed  to  the  severe  action  of  the  shovel  plow  or  to  an 
irregular  row  of  pine  trees  some  four  rods  to  the  south.  Being 
less  than  twenty-five  feet  high,  however,  they  cast  no  shade  over 
the  plat  and  their  roots  could  not  have  reached  it. 

Hitherto  at  this  Station  shallow  cultivation  has  quite  uni- 
formly proved  most  effective,  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
present  season  was  one  of  almost  ideal  conditions  as  to  moisture. 
Rains,  copious,  but  not  excessive,  were  well  distributed  through- 
out the  growing  season,  and  on  the  deep  prairie  soil  of  this  field  the 
necessity  for  cultivation  of  any  kind  beyond  removal  of  weeds 
seemed  to  have  been  reduced  to  a  minimum,  if  not  entirely 
obliterated. 

Experiment  No.  i.     Tests  of  Varieties.     ^Methods  of  Experiment, .] 

The  principal  difficulty  confronting  the  experimenter  is  so  to 
control  conditions  that  the  results  obtained  may  be  credited  to  the 
proper  cause.  For  many  years  the  Station  has  grown  a  large 
number  of  varieties  of  corn,  not  only  to  note  any  and  all  peculiari- 
ties, but  more  especially  to  test  their  ability  to  yield  and  their 
consequent  value  for  cultivation. 

Of  necessity,  areas  employed  must  be  small,  and  such  yields 
will  always  be  open  to  the  objection  of  unlimited  crossing.  It  has 
been  learned,  however,  that  these  disturbances  to  yield  are  not 
serious  in  the  season  of  the  first  cross,  and  may  be  fairly  disre- 
garded if  fresh  seed  be  employed  each  year. 

Certain  facts  ultimately  led  to  the  suspicion  that  results  were 
greatly  disturbed  by  simple  differences  in  soil.  It  had  been  sup- 
posed that  reducing  the  size  of  plats  and  bringing  them  corre- 
spondingly closer  together  would  tend  to  eliminate  soil  differences 
and  that  by  choosing  unusually  uniform  land  such  differences 
would  be  practically  eliminated.  -TUMJ- 

In  1895  seventy-two  varieties  were  tested  on  plats  ten  rods 
square.  One  of  the  varieties  was  repeated  on  thirteen  different 
plats,  and  although  the  ground  chosen  was  an  exceedingly  uniform 


CORN   EXPERIMENTS,    1896.  353 

piece  of  prairie,  ten  by  forty  rods  in  extent,  the  difference  in 
yield  of  the  same  variety  on  neighboring  plats  was  startling. 
Without  going  into  minutiae  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that  the 
yields  of  the  same  variety  within  the  limits  specified  varied  from 
45.8  bushels  to  100.8  bushels,  and  that  yields  on  contiguous  plats 
varied  from  65.3  bushels  to  89.7  bushels  per  acre.  These  differ- 
ences, due  to  causes  other  than  variety,  represent  very  nearly  the 
extremes  of  yield  among  all  the  varieties  on  all  the  plats;  from 
which  we  may  conclude  that  differences  in  soil,  even  on  selected 
locations,  are  nearly  as  great  as  the  differences  between  the 
varieties  whose  yields  we  propose  to  test. 

Evidently  some  method  must  be  devised  whereby  these  soil 
differences  may  be  eliminated  or  their  effects  neutralized,  or  it  is 
more  than  useless  to  institute  tests  of  comparative  yields,  not  only 
in  corn  experiments,  but  along  other  and  similar  lines  of  work. 

In  variety  tests  the  time  element  affords  no  relief,  and  as  an 
experiment  the  following  plan  was  employed: 

It  was  first  discovered  that  variations  in  yields  secured  from 
small  plats  are  vastly  greater  than  from  larger  areas,  because  the 
greatest  variation  noted  on  contiguous  tenth-acre  plats  growing 
the  sarms  variety  was  less  than  ten  bushels  per  acre,  or  about  12 
per  cent.,  whereas  fortieth-acre  plats  lying  contiguous  showed 
variations  of  over  24  bushels,  or  more  than  37  per  cent.  Plantings 
were  therefore  made  in  plats  or  strips  38  rods  long  to  neutralize 
soil  variation  in  one  direction,  and  the  same  variety  was  repeated 
on  every  third  strip  for  a  standard  by  which  to  eliminate  lateral 
differences.  At  the  time  of  harvesting  one  rod  was  cut  from  each 
end  and  the  strips  as  remaining,  36  rods  long,  were  each  harvested  in 
six  separate  sections  of  six  rods  each  to  catch  abnormal  spots. 

Table  2,  next  page,  shows  the  varieties  employed,  the  manner 
of  planting  by  repeating  one  variety,  Burr's  white,  in  each  fourth  fc£ 
strip,  and  the  yield  in  pounds  of  ears  of  each  section  of  each  strip, 
together  with  the  comparative  yields  expressed  in  bushels  per  acre. 

Manifestly  something  is  wrong  with  the  first  section  of  some 
of  the  strips.  (See  Iowa  silver  mine,  Clark's  Iroquois,  Edmonds, 
and  others.)  As  a  matter  of  fact,  vacancies  were  common  in  this 
end  of  the  field,  and  in  final  computation  the  first  or  south  section 
of  all  varieties  was  disregarded  and  results  were  computed  on  the 
basis  of  yields  secured  from  the  other  five. 

It  yet  remains  to  translate  the  meaning  of  the  last  column  and 
make  the  yields  comparative  for  the  same  pieces  of  ground.  The 
method  of  accomplishing  this  is  illustrated  and  the  computed 
yields  given  in  table  3,  next  page. 


354 


BULLETIN   NO.   46. 


January, 


TABLE  2.  VARIETIES,  ORDER  OF  PLANTING  AND  YIELD  OF  EACH  EXPRESSED  IN 
POUNDS  OF  EARS  FOR  EACH  SECTION,  AND  AS  TOTAL.  ALSO  ACTUAL  YIELD 
PER  ACRE  IN  BUSHELS. 


Varieties 

Sections. 

*Bu. 

First. 

Second. 

Third. 

Fourth. 

Fifth. 

Sixth. 

*  Total. 

per 
acre. 

Burr's  white  

OQ.25 

08.5 

O7 

10^ 

104 

no    s. 

SfYl 

Boone  county  white  .  . 
Champion  white  pearl 
Burr's  white.  .•  

H7-5 
81.25 

Q1.25 

i39-25 
85 
106.25 

125-5 
83-5 
105.  5 

124 

84.5 

IOQ 

126.25 
82 
no.  25 

121.75 
82 
IOO    5 

636-75 
417 

54O    5 

107.4 
74 

Iowa  silver  mine.  .  .  . 

78 

110.5 

IO7.75 

Il8.5 

IO5.75 

IO4.  5 

547 

Q7    A 

Flint  

4O     £ 

Af:        7? 

A2 

J.6    7^ 

AC 

222     5 

Burr's  white  

Q7    5 

108 

IOQ.25 

118.  5 

IOQ.  75 

OQ    5 

545 

O7    7 

Q7    75 

III  .75 

118 

iqi  .7C 

122.75 

Til 

6l7.  25 

106  8 

Clark's  Iroquois  

66 

08.  5 

98 

Q5 

78.5 

8l.25 

451.25 

81.1 

Burr's  white  

81.75 

IOO 

IOQ 

no.  5 

IOI.25 

IO4 

524.75 

O4.  I 

Legal  tender  

QO.75 

1  06 

102.  5 

117-25 

IO5 

TOJ..  25 

515 

q6 

Murdock  

QO.25 

Q1.25 

0^ 

I  O4 

OX).  25 

0*1  .25 

471.75 

84   i 

Burr's  white  

100.25 

I  O7 

06 

00.  5 

103.25 

83 

488.75 

87.7 

Edmonds  

77 

85.75 

87.5 

85.75 

QO.25 

83 

412.25 

7Q.  I 

Riley's  favorite  

88 

Q7 

105.75 

105.75 

108.5 

87.25 

5O4.25 

02.8 

84.75 

IO4 

IO2 

IOQ.  7  5 

07 

or  .75 

5O4    5 

oo  ^ 

Golden  beautv  

81.75 

Q5.25 

96.25 

IO2 

88.5 

OO.25 

476.25 

81.6 

Burr's  white  

93-5 

97-25 

99-25 

100-5 

103.25 

93 

493-25 

88.5 

*  Computed  from  last  five  sections.     See  below. 

TABLE  3.  FOR  COMPUTING  COMPARATIVE  YIELDS.  [Column  i,  actual  yields 
of  each  variety  on  its  plat;  column  2,  computed  yields  of  Burr's  white  for  each  plat  and 
therefore  over  all  the  field  ;  column  3,  comparative  yields  of  varieties  computed  for  the 
entire  field.] 


2 
jo 

Variety. 

i 

2 

3 

i 

QO.4 

QO.4 

Q2  .7 

2 

Boone  county  white  

IO7.4 

Q2.6 

IO7  .  5 

74. 

Q4.7 

72.4 

Burr's  white  ..              .        

96.9 

Q&.Q 

Iowa  silver  mine  

07.  i 

Q7  .  2 

O2  .Q 

6 

Flint  

17.2 

Q7  --1 

15  .4 

Burr's  white           

Q7  .7 

Q7  •  7 

ft 

Learning              .           

106.8 

q6.  5 

IO2.6 

Clark's  Iroquois  

81.1 

95-3 

78.9 

IO 

Burr's  white  

Q4-  1 

94-  1 

II 

06 

92 

Q6.7 

12 

84.1 

89.8 

86.8 

11 

Burr's  white               .        

87.7 

87.7 

14 

7Q.  I 

88.6 

82.8 

1C 

92.8 

89.6 

96 

Tfi 

Burr's  white                        ..          

QO.  5 

OO.  5 

T7 

81.6 

89.5 

86.6 

1  8 

Burr's  white  

88.5 

88.5 

Average    . 

Q2.7 

Column  i  restates  the  actual  yield  of  each  variety  on  its  plat. 
Column  2  is  computed  for  Burr's  white  only  and  is  intended  to 
exhibit  the  probable  yields  of  each  plat  if  Burr's  white  had  been 
planted  over  all  the  piece.  The  method  is  evident  and  rests  on 


i897.} 


CRIMSON   CLOVER. 


355 


the  assumption,  not  quite  correct,  that  the  gradation  from  one 
strip  to  the  third  beyond  is  practically  gradual.  The  average  of 
this  column  (2)  shows  the  computed  yield  for  Burr's  white  over  all 
the  piece.  In  column  3  the  yields  of  each  variety  are  corrected, 
being  raised  or  lowered  upon  the  percentage  basis  according  as 
the  computed  yield  of  Burr's  white  on  that  plat  is  above  or  below 
the  average.  This  eliminates  almost  completely  errors  of  yield 
due  to  differences  of  ground  and  exhibits  what  each  variety  would 
have  yielded  had  it  occupied  the  whole  field.  The  yields  are 
therefore  strictly  comparable,  except  for  the  fact  that  the  varieties 
must  have  varied  in  the  percent,  of  moisture  which  was  not  deter- 
mined, 56  pounds  of  shelled  corn  being  taken  as  one  bushel. 

TABLE  4. 


Variety. 

Where  seed  may  be  obtained. 

Yield  per 
acre,  bu. 

Per  cent, 
of  cob. 

A  v.  weight 
of  ears,  lb. 

Burr's  white  

F.  E.  Burr,  Philo,  111  

Q2  .  7 

16.  i 

eg 

Boone  county  white  .  .  . 
Champion  white  pearl  .  . 
Iowa  silver  mine  

James  Riley,  Thorntown,Ind. 
J.  C.  Suffern,  Voorhies,  111.  . 
la.  Seed  Co.,  Des  Moines,  la. 

107.5 
72.4 
Q2.Q 

21.3 
17.2 
16.0 

•75 
•57 
.60 

Flint  

•IK.  4. 

21  .Q 

.26 

Learning    

E.  E.  Chester,  Champaign,  1  11. 

IO2.6 

IQ.2 

.70 

Clark's  Iroquois  

H.  H.  Clark,  Onarga,  111  

78.0 

16.1 

.58 

Legal  tender  

Nims  Brothers,  Emerson,  la. 

O6.7 

16.2 

.60 

C.  H.  Mills,  Champaign,  111. 

86.8 

17.2 

.46 

Kdmonds       ....        .  . 

H.  P.  Edmonds,  Taylor,  111.. 

82.8 

14.6 

•  S3 

Riley's  favorite  

James  Riley,  Thorntown,Ind. 

96 

14.1 

•58 

Golden  beauty  ........ 

Barnard  &  Co.,  Chicago  .... 

86.6 

18.  i 

•52 

W.  J.  ERASER,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Agriculturist, 


CRIMSON  CLOVER. 

The  dry  summer  of  1893  and  1894  gave  rise  to  much  difficulty 
in  seeding  to  red  clover,  and  attention  was  quite  generally  directed 
to  the  crimson  clover  as  a  possible  substitute.  This,  with  the 
numerous  inquiries  by  letter,  induced  the  Station  to  undertake 
some  trials  of  its  usefulness  as  an  agricultural  crop  for  Illinois. 

Efforts  to  secure  a  stand  met  with  but  partial  success,  although 
attempts  were  made  under  a  great  variety  of  conditions.  Sowings 
made  in  summer  uniformly  suffered  from  lack  of  moisture,  and 
even  August  and  September  proved  little  more  favorable,  because 
even  a  slight  shower  provided  sufficient  moisture  to  cause  the 
seeds  to  sprout,  but  not  enough  to  sustain  growth. 


BULLETIN  NO.  46.  [January, 

If  sown  in  early  spring  a  better  stand  was  secured,  but  the 
crop  hastened  to  maturity  with  but  a  small  growth  and  a  light 
yield.  The  small  amount  that  started  from  fall  seedings  appeared 
in  most  cases  to  live  and  to  take  on  a  satisfactory  growth  in  the 
succeeding  spring.  But  in  every  case  the  stand  was  uneven  and 
far  too  poor  for  a  profitable  yield.  In  the  meantime  numerous 
letters  asking  for  the  best  method  of  seeding  to  crimson  clover 
showed  that  public  interest  was  not  abating. 

For  the  purpose  of  collecting  information  as  to  experience 
over  the  state,  a  circular  letter  was  addressed  to  some  forty  farm- 
ers in  various  sections  of  the  state,  who  it  was  thought  might 
have  been  trying  the  crop.  Of  the  twenty-three  answers  received, 
six  reported  that  no  attempt  had  been  made,  fourteen  reported 
total  failure,  two  claimed  partial  success,  and  one  stated  that  a 
good  stand  had  been  secured  on  about  two  acres  of  ground. 

Failure  was  attributed  to  drouth,  to  poor  seed,  and  to  cold^ 
The  common  statement  was  but  a  restating  of  the  experience  at 
the  Station.  "It  came  up  well,  but  was  mostly  killed  by  the  dry 
weather."  It  is  more  than  likely  that  the  failures  attributed  to 
poor  seed  were  due  in  reality  to  the  same  cause,  "dry  weather," 
for  crimson  clover  seed  uniformly  has  a  high  percentage  of  germi- 
nating power.  Few  seeds  germinate  more  readily  in  presence  of 
even  slight  moisture,  and  few  young  plants  are  more  sensitive  to 
drouth.  Even  a  slight  shower  in  the  midst  of  a  drouth  is  sufficient 
to  start  the  sprouts,  most  of  which  soon  perish,  leaving  little 
patches  of  green  scattered  over  great  stretches  of  bare  field. 

In  the  one  successful  case  reported  the  seed  had  been  sown 
alone  in  September  on  land  that  had  grown  a  crop  of  corn.  This 
was  not  typical  black  prairie,  but  what  is  locally  known  in  south 
central  Illinois  as  "hard  pan"  land,  with  a  stiff  impervious  clay  within 
18  inches  of  the  surface.  One  partial  success  followed  sowing  in 
August  on  wheat  stubble  after  preparation  with  a  spading  harrow; 
the  other  was  in  oats  stubble  in  September,  after  a  cutaway  or 
disk  harrow.  Neither  was  on  hard  pan  land. 

Of  the  entire  twenty-three  correspondents  seventeen  state 
definitely  that  red  clover  succeeds  in  their  section.  Two  on  hard 
pan  land  state  that  it  will  not  succeed,  and  one  that  it  fails  too 
often  to  be  profitable  ;  but  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  the  two  others 
living  on  hard  pan  land  report  red  clover  as  successfully  grown. 

From  this  it  would  .seem  that  crimson  clover  is  in  Illinois  a  far 
more  precarious  crop  than  the  red  clover  in  whose  stead  it  was 
expected  to  serve. 

In  addition  to  other  unfavorable  reports  letters  from  the 
Experiment  Stations  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Michigan  all  reported 


IMPROVEMENT   OF   "HARD   PAN"   LANDS.  357 

practical  failure  with  crimson  clover,  leading  us  to  infer  either 
that  our  conditions  are  not  favorable  to  this  crop  or  else  that  we 
have  yet  to  learn  how  to  grow  it. 

During  the  season  of  1895  much  was  said  about  the  advantage 
of  using  northern  grown  seed,  thereby  securing  the  benefits  of 
acclimation.  In  the  hope  of  learning  to  what  extent  the  source 
of  seed  might  be  responsible  for  failure,  the  Station  secured  crim- 
son clover  seed  from  eight  representative  seedsmen. 

One  dealer  furnished  two  brands,  one  of  which  was  warranted 
extra  hardy,  and  another  claimed  superior  excellence  for  seed 
grown  in  Indiana  and  supplied  for  comparison  both  imported  seed 
and  that  grown  in  Delaware.  Repeated  sowings  were  made  of 
these  eleven  samples  of  seed  at  different  dates  and  under  various 
conditions  but  with  no  better  success  than  formerly  and  no  per- 
ceptible difference  in  the  power  of  plants  from  particular  brands 
of  seed  to  stand  either  drouth  or  cold  weather. 

Several  cases  were  reported  of  success  from  sowings  made  in 
July,  1895,  and  it  should  be  mentioned  in  this  connection  that 
these  were  coincident  with  an  unusually  moist  and  rainy  period  of 
several  days,  allowing  time  for  the  young  plants  to  become  estab- 
lished. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

1.  Crimson  clover  is  less  likely  than  red  clover  to  succeed  in 
Illinois. 

2.  Drouth  and  cold  are  its  great  enemies — notably  the  former, 
especially  in  the  early  life  of  the  plant. 

3.  If  benefits  may  be  had  from  acclimation,  they  have  not 
yet  become  sufficiently  established  to  be  noticeable. 

E.  DAVENPORT,  M.  AGR.,  Director. 


On  the  Improvement  of  Retentive  Clays-.  Drainage  of  the  So- 
called  "Hard  pan"  Lands  of  Southern  Illinois. 

If  an  irregular  line  be  drawn  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia 
river  through  Murphysboro  in  Jackson  county  and  Marion  in 
Williamson  county  to  Carmi  in  White  county,  it  will  mark  approxi- 
mately the  southern  limits  of  the  first  or  oldest  glacier  of  Illinois. 

Another  irregular  line  running  from  Terre  Haute,  Indiana, 
through  Mattoon  in  Coles  county,  near  Shelbyville  in  Shelby 


358  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  {January, 

county,  thence  bending  to  the  north  and  passing  west  of  Decatur 
in  Macon  county  on  its  way  to  Peoria  will  mark  approximately  the 
extreme  limits  of  the  second  ice  sheet  which  in  its  descent  covered 
deeply  with  a  mixture  of  boulder  clay,  sand,  and  gravel  the  older 
and  thinner  deposit  of  finely  divided  clay  left  by  the  first  glacier. 
Between  these  boundaries  the  deposit  left  by  the  old  glacier 
lies  for  the  most  part  still  exposed  except  where  tongues  from  the 
higher  levels  of  the  great  prairie  intrude  upon  and  overlap  it,  or 
where  its  characteristic  features  have  been  obliterated  by  river 
systems.  So  extensive  have  been  the  invasions  into  the  domain 
of  this  ancient  region  that  the  white  clay  tracts  are  chiefly  found  as 
they  exist  to-day  on  the  higher  levels  south  of  Mattoon  and  north 
of  Marion,  and  between  the  Kaskaskia  River  on  the  west  and  the 
Wabash  River  on  the  east.  The  margins  of  these  tracts  are  every- 
where irregular  and  their  features  are  best  preserved  at  points 
remote  from  water  courses. 

It  may  be  well  to  say  here  that  the  term  "  hard  pan  "  as  refer- 
ring to  this  section  is  a  local  term  meaning  only  an  unusually 
heavy  and  retentive  clay  subsoil,  which,  when  it  comes  to  the  sur- 
face, constitutes  a  "scald  spot"  or  "stick."  Such  subsoils  and 
"stick  "spots  appear  to  have  a  content  of  iron  somewhat  above 
the  normal,  but  have  not  yet  been  examined.  Let  it  suffice  to  say 
that  by  "  hard  pan  "  is  not  meant  that  thin  stratum  of  what  is 
practically  rock  that  commonly  goes  by  the  same  name  and  that 
is  totally  impervious  to  water,  but  that  it  means  simply  an  uncom- 
monly exaggerated  instance  of  ordinary  conditions  in  this  locality. 
The  characteristic  deposit  of  the  old  glacier,  br  at  least  of  so 
much  of  it  as  has  been  left  exposed  in  this  region,  is  an  impalpable 
clay  and  sand  through  which  water  makes  its  way  so  slowly  that  it 
is  classed  as  an  impervious  soil. 

There  is  the  greatest  difficulty  in  securing  the  proper  condi- 
tions of  moisture  in  such  a  soil,  where,  as  is  usually  the  case,  the 
land  is  too  nearly  level  to  permit  the  rains  of  spring  to  run  off. 
The  soil  is  so  nearly  impervious  that  the  water  must  needs  stand 
upon  the  land  until  removed  by  evaporation.  By  this  time  the 
season  is  far  advanced,  and  the  effect  is  seen  in  corn  planted  later 
in  the  southern  limits  of  this  area  than  at  the  northern  end  of  the 
state,  more  than  300  miles  distant.  Not  only  that;  this  same  water 
that  encumbered  the  land  in  spring  and  delayed  planting  was 
precious;  had  it  soaked  away  into  the  ground,  it  would  have 
remained  to  check  the  temperature  and  to  recompense  the  evapo- 
ration of  summer.  But  it  has  evaporated,  its  cooling  effect  was 
produced  when  it  was  a  damage  and  not  a  benefit,  and  the  natural 
defense  against  the  summer  drouth  is  gone.  It  has  gone  as  thor- 


'8971 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  "HARD  PAN"  LANDS. 


359 


oughly  as  if  the  surface  were  rolling  and  it  had  run  away,  with  the 
added  disadvantage  that  slowly  evaporating  it  consumed  both  heat 
and  time  at  a  season  when  both  were  precious. 

The  land  in  question  has  enjoyed  an  enviable  reputation  as  a 
wheat  producing  region,  and  is  a  region  of  great  fertility.  It  is 
especially  adapted  to  wheat,  as  that  is  a  crop  which  requires  no 
spring  culture,  and  is  out  of  the  way  before  the  drouth  appears. 
However,  the  need  of  more  diversified  cropping  is  apparent,  not 
only  on  account  of  the  low  price  of  wheat  and  the  good  of  the 
soil,  but  because  of  the  fact  that  all  the  conditions  are  perfect  for 
the  development  and  ravages  of  that  destructive  pest,  the  chinch- 
bug. 

The  attempt  to  grow  other  than  winter  crops,  as  wheat  and 
hay,  encounters  difficulties  easily  appreciated.  It  requires  spring 
culture  and  summer  growth,  which  are  impossible  except  in  sea- 
sons of  moderate  spring  and  copious  summer  rains. 

The  natural  situation  will  be  better  understood  by  a  reference 
to  the  following  table,  which  exhibits  the  physical  character  of  the 
soil  in  question,  the  samples  being  taken  from  different  localities 
along  a  line  nearly  north  and  south  and  compared,  by  the  centrifu- 
gal method  for  mechanical  analysis,  with  a  sample  of  the  soil  at 
this  Station,  which  lies  on  the  higher  levels  of  the  second  glacier. 

COMPARATIVE  PHYSICAL  CHARACTER  OF  TWO  SAMPLES  OF  WHITE  CLAY  SOIL  AND  ONE 
OF  UPLAND  PRAIRIE  OF  SECOND  GLACIATION,  WITH  SUBSOILS  OF  EACH. 


Name  of 
particles. 

Size  of 
particles  in 
milimeters. 

Odin  soil. 

Edgewood  soil. 

Station  soil. 

Surface. 

Subsoil 
20  in. 

Surface 

Subsoil 
15  in. 

Surface. 

Subsoil 
15  in. 

Gravel 

More  than  2 

2            —.5 

-5     —  -2 

.  2OO  —  .  060 
.060  —  .025 
.025  —  .OIO 
.OIO  —  .OO2 

Less  than   .002 

.  IQ 

i  .02 
6.01 
23.69 
9.48 
27-35 
9-75 
7.96 

14-57 

1.  06 

6.85 
28.71 
9  94 
23-31 
8.31 
7-36 
14.46 

Grits  

1.03 

3-73 
8.38 
45-01 
19.01 
11.44 
10.78 

-44 
1-52 
3-98 
32.61 
16.48 
10.  08 
34-44 

1.64 
7.66 
7.64 

45-14 
16.05 
9.22 
12.08 

.72 
2.31 
3-72 
30.40 
12.  02 
10.01 

39-77 

Coarse  sand  
Fine  sand  
Coarse  silt  
Fine  silt  

Dust  

Clay.. 

99-43 

99-55 

99.62 

98-95 

99-83 

IOO.OO 

Error  

•57 

•45 

•38 

*i.ps 

•17 

.00 

tOrganic  matter  

6.53 

6.07 

4.12 

6.87 

7.40 

4.90 

NOTE. — The  percentages  are  given  on  the  basis  of  ignited  soil. 
*This  error  is  chiefly  in  grades  4  and  5.     Due  to  accidents. 
tOrganic  matter  equals  loss  on  ignition  of  water-free  soil. 

The  fineness  of  these  lesser  particles  is  inconceivable.  Those 
denominated  "clay "are  less  than  one-twelve  thousandth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter  and  the  number  of  particles  in  a  cubic  inch  of 
such  soil  is  way  up  among  the  billions.  Not  only  that ;  it  will  be 
noticed  that  of  the  Station  sample  23.69  per  cent,  of  the  soil  and 


360  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  January. 

28.71  per  cent,  of  the  subsoil  rank  as  coarse  sand  whose  particles 
are  between  .5  and  .2  of  a  milimeter  in  diameter.  Such  immense 
masses,  comparatively  speaking,  afford  clinging  room  for  thous- 
ands of  the  finest  ones,  and  we  find  that  they  do  so  adhere,  because 
the  per  cent,  of  clay  in  this  sample  is  practically  the  same  for  soil 
and  subsoil,  viz.,  14.57  per  cent,  for  soil  and  14.46  per  cent,  for 
subsoil. 

Not  so  in  the  two  samples  from  the  older  glacial  soil.  There 
is  little  of  coarse  matter  in  the  upper  layers  to  which  the  finest 
particles  may  cling  and  they  seem  to  have  settled  gradually  into 
the  lower  or  subsoil.  Note  that  the  percentages  of  clay  in  soil 
and  subsoil  as  given  in  the  table  are  respectively :  Odin,  10.78 
and  34.44  ;  Edgewood,  12.08  and  39.77.  Note  also  that  the  sample 
from  the  Station  is  the  only  one  that  exhibits  much  more  organic 
matter  in  the  soil  than  in  the  subsoil  and  that  the  Edgewood 
sample  shows  even  less. 

The  practical  question  is,  what  is  to  be  done  for  such  soils  ? 
The  Station  has  undertaken  certain  lines  of  work  looking  towards 
a  possible  answer,  only  a  portion  of  which  has  proceeded  suffi- 
ciently far  to  warrant  even  a  preliminary  report. 

It  was  seen  at  once  that  the  fundamental  difficulty  is  one 
of  moisture  arising  not  from  excessive  or  deficient  rainfall,  but 
from  soil  conditions.  Soils  made  up  of  such  finely  divided 
particles  possess  an  immense  extent  of  surface  and  a  correspond- 
ingly great  capacity  for  water,  if  only  it  can  be  brought  to  enter. 

The  fineness  of  division  is  exhibited  in  another-  way.  When 
parched  with  drouth  in  August,  a  handful  of  road  dust  firmly 
pressed  by  the  fingers  becomes  and  remains  a  ball  of  earth  that 
will  endure  considerable  tossing  about.  This  being  true,  the  air 
that  occupies  such  soils  does  not  simply  rest  freely  from  particles 
to  be  easily  displaced  by  some  other  gas  or  liquid  with  a  superior 
gravity.  It  is  not  held  loosely  by  entanglement  but  firmly  by 
adhesion  to  the  great  expanse  of  surface  of  the  infinitely  small 
particles  and  is  not  readily  displaced.  Consequently,  when 
rains  come,  there  is  the  strongest  tendency  for  the  water  to  stand 
upon  the  surface  as  upon  a  cushion  of  air  without  much  contact, 
precisely  as  it  will  upon  the  surface  of  flour,  stucco,  or  other  finely 
divided  powders. 

Underdrainage  is  a  well  known  remedy  not  only  for  soils  that 
are  too  wet  but  for  those  that,  although  in  regions  of  abundant 
rainfall,  are  too  dry.  A  drained  soil  is  not  only  drier  in  the  spring 
but  is  more  moist  in  summer,  because  of  having  brought  into 
contact  with  its  particles  water  which  otherwise  would  have  run 
away  or  evaporated. 


1897.}  IMPROVEMENT   OF.  "HARD   PAN"   LANDS.  361 

There  was  no  question  of  the  effect  of  underdrainage  if  it 
•could  be  made  to  operate,  but  local  opinion  was  nearly  unanimous 
to  the  effect  that  water  would  never  reach  tiles  laid  in  such  soils, 
particularly  in  the  so-called  "hard  pan  "  lands  and  "scald  spots" 
or  "sticks." 

It  was  decided  to  resort  to  a  test  of  drainage,  and  accordingly 
one  of  the  most  refractory  spots  procurable  was  selected  at  Edge- 
wood.  The  following  notes  refer  to  the  tiling  of  an  area  of  one 
acre. 

Three  and  one-half  inch  tile  were  laid  two  and  one-half  feet 
deep  in  lines  50  feet  apart,  and  the  job  was  finished  March  3,  1896. 
The  workmen  noted  that  the  digging  near  a  railroad  ditch  was  easier 
and  that  the  dirt  handled  more  freely  there  than  in  other  portions 
of  the  field. 

March  5.  Three-fourths  inch  rain ;  water  flowed  from  drain 
three  days. 

March  23.  Five  inches  of  snow ;  water  flowed  from  tile  for 
seventeen  days  in  succession.  The  first  three  days  after  the  snow 
disappeared  the  tile  flowed  one-half  full. 

April  1 6  and  17.  Plowed  all  the  field,  tiled  portion  was  per- 
ceptibly driest.  On  the  i6th  the  Station  took  samples  of  both 
soil  and  subsoil,  in  both  drained  and  undrained  portions.  In  dig- 
ging in  the  tiled  portion  at  the  farthest  points  from  the  tile  water 
was  not  reached  till  below  a  depth  of  two  feet  and  the  earth 
handled  freely ;  but  in  the  undrained  part  water  was  found  within 
a  foot  of  the  surface  and  the  lower  soil  was  a  tenacious  mud. 

April  20.     Three-fourths  inch  of  rain  ;  water  flowed  from  tile. 

April  29.  Planted  all  to  corn,  Kafir  corn,  cow  peas,  and  buck- 
wheat. 

May  26.     Two  and  three-fourths  inches  of  rain. 

May  27.  Water  commenced  to  flow  from  tile  and  continued 
for  three  and  one-half  days. 

May  31.  Between  I  and  4  A.  M.  one  and  three-fourths  inches 
of  rain  fell,  and  at  9  A.  M.  the  tile  were  running  three-fourths  full 
and  continued  to  flow  for  six  days. 

June  9.     Plowed  corn  ;  tiled  land  in  best  condition. 

June  22.  One  and  three-fourths  inches  rain  fell ;  tile  did  not 
start. 

June  25,  Three  and  one-fourth  inches  rain  fell  during  the 
early  part  of  the  night  and  the  next  morning  the  tile  were  running 
one-half  full. 

June  27.  One_and  one-half  inches  of  rain  ;  tile  ran  five  days 
in  all. 

June  30.     Tiled  portion  much  the  driest. 


362  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  {January, 

July  15.     One  and  one-half  inches  rain  ;  tile  did  not  start. 

July  19.  Five-eighths  inch  rain  ;  tile  started  but  continued 
only  a  short  time. 

©ctober  3.  Equal  areas  of  tiled  and  of  undrained  land  yielded 
corn  and  stover  as  follows:  Undrained,  2215  pounds  of  ears,  and 
1570  pounds  of  stover;  tiled,  2711  pounds  of  ears  and  1990 
pounds  of  stover.  This  is  22  per  cent,  increase  of  corn  and  26  per 
cent,  increase  of  stover  on  the  tiled  portion. 

As  a  result  of  the  season's  labors  it  has  been  demonstrated 
that  these  lands  may  be  underdrained  without  difficulty,  and  the 
notable  increase  in  yield  is  no  surprise. 

It  yet  remains  to  learn  if  drains  will  endure,  but  the  closest 
observation  has  failed  to  find  signs  of  destruction.  But  little  silt 
appears  at  the  outlet  and  none  has  settled  in  the  tile  along  the 
course  of  the  drain.  The  work  will  be  continued,  but  the  essential 
question  in  doubt  has  been  settled,  viz.:  Could  water  penetrate 
these  soils  and  reach  tiles  laid  at  a  sufficient  depth  for  drainage? 

For  the  benefit  of  those  specially  interested,  this  caution  is 
expressed :  Do  not  be  deceived  by  standing  puddles  of  water. 
The  bottom  of  the  pool  has  in  some  way  become  "puddled"  and 
is  impervious.  In  numerous  cases  water  was  found  standing  in 
cattle  tracks  directly  over  and  within  two  and  one-half  feet  of  tile 
in  active  operation.  When  tiles  are  laid  in  these  soils,  because  of 
their  exceeding  fineness,  the  grade  must  be  even,  the  joints  close,  and 
the  earth  well  packed  next  the  tile. 

The  experience  of  the  year  indicates  that  50  feet,  or  even  100 
feet,  apart  is  unnecessarily  close  for  lines  of  tile  even  in  these 
so-called  impervious  soils. 

E.  DAVENPORT,  M.  AGR.,  Director. 


On  the  Importance  of  the  Physiological  Requirements  of  the 

Animal  Body ;  Results  of  an  Attempt  to  Grow  Cattle 

without  Coarse  Feed. 

Object. — Some  years  ago  a  question  arose  in  the  writer's  mind 
regarding  the  physiological  requirements  of  the  animal  body  as 
distinct  from  the  chemical,  and  it  suggested  the  query, — To  what 
extent  is  it  necessary  to  cater  to  the  instinct  and  the  appetite  of 
the  animal  in  the  matter  of  nutrition  ? 

As  a  preliminary  study  an  experiment  was  planned  at  that 
time  in  which  the  object  was  to  note  the  effect  of  withholding 


l8()J.}  GROWING   CATTLE   WITHOUT   COARSE   FEED.  363 

coarse  feed  from  an  herbivorous  animal.  Some  work  was  done 
but  circumstances  intervened  to  prevent  its  completion,  and  not 
until  the  past  year  has  it  been  possible  to  resume  a  line  of  investi- 
gation which  at  the  outset  encountered  so  many  strange  and 
unexpected  phenomena. 

Plan. — In  brief,  the  plan  was  and  has  been  to  attempt  to  raise 
a  calf  to  maturity  under  conditions  entirely  normal  with  one 
exception,  viz.,  the  absence  of  coarse  feed  of  any  kind,  but  with 
every  compensation  possible  in  the  way  of  variety  and  amount. 
It  may  be  argued  that  such  an  experiment  can  have  no  practical 
value.  Indeed,  it  may  be  frankly  stated  that  when  commenced,  it 
was  not  with  a  feeling  that  much  would  come  of  it ;  but,  as  the 
work  has  progressed,  certain  facts  have  seemed  to  be  plainly  brought 
out  and  so  surely  and  accurately  repeated  as  to  indicate  the  pres- 
ence and  the  operation  of  a  general  principle  that  we  cannot 
offend  with  impunity,  and  that  is  that  the  deep  seated  needs  of 
constitutional  habit  are  absolute.  This  principle,  if  it  be  a  princi- 
ple, has  an  exceedingly  important  economic  bearing. 

Four  experiments  have  been  conducted,  all  with  calves,  and 
all  begun  immediately  after  birth.  Peculiar  difficulties  were 
encountered,  and  it  was  not  until  the  second  experiment  that 
methods  were  so  far  perfected  as  to  control  conditions.  During 
that  experiment  and  afterwards  accurate  notes  were  kept.  For 
the  use  of  those  specially  interested  these  notes  are  transcribed 
in  full. 

EXPERIMENT  No.  I. — As  has  been  stated  this  experiment  was 
inagurated  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  as  no  notes  are  at  hand 
this  brief  statement  covering  the  principal  points  of  the  first 
experiment  is  from  memory.  Early  in  the  spring  a  grade  Short- 
horn calf  was  selected  and  fed  freely,  at  first  upon  milk,  precisely 
like  its  fellows.  At  the  first  indication  of  a  desire  to  take  coarse 
food  its  bedding  was  removed  and  shavings  substituted.  Grain 
was  given  at  an  early  age  and  freely  eaten,  but  there  appeared  a 
phenomenal  appetite  for  bulky  food,  and  indications  of  an  unsatis- 
fied appetite.  It  would  freely  eat  shavings,  if  allowed,  and  ropes 
and  bits  of  lumber  were  chewed  whenever  attainable. 

All  this  time,  however,  the  calf  was  hearty,  healthy,  and  flour- 
ishing, and  nothing  peculiar  could  be  detected  except  its  insatiate 
desire  for  anything  that  was  bulky  or  coarse.  It  consumed  inordi- 
nate quantities  of  ground  feed  composed  of  one-half  corn  and  one- 
half  oats,  and  it  seemed  that  the  hulls  of  the  oats  would  afford 
sufficient  bulk  to  satisfy  the  appetite  for  coarse  material,  especially 
as  he  came  to  take  more  than  a  half  bushel  daily  before  he  was 
five  months  of  age. 


364  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  \Janitary, 

In  its  eagerness  for  something  more  or  something  different 
in  the  way  of  food  earth  was  freely  eaten,  if  available ;  but  as 
this  habit  is  a  normal  one  with  horses  and  as  all  cattle  evince  an 
abnormal  appetite  for  anything  that  may  be  chewed,  the  calf  was 
closely  watched  to  see  whether  these  peculiarities  might  not  ulti- 
mately disappear  and  the  animal  settle  down  to  its  regular  food 
and  become  accustomed  to,  and  satisfied  with,  a  non-herbiverous 
diet.  This  it  never  did. 

At  about  four  months  the  joints  commenced  to  swell  and  the 
legs  to  stiffen;  later  by  spells  the  calf  walked  with  a  reeling  motion, 
although  at  other  times  he  played  as  would  any  other  calf.  One  of 
the  most  peculiar  facts  noticeable  was  the  body  conditions  as  to 
flesh.  It  was  poor,  but  not  thin.  Its  muscles  remained  plump  and 
exceedingly  firm  not  to  say  solid  to  the  touch. 

At  about  five  months  there  was  an  evident  disturbance  of  the 
nerve  centers,  and,  although  the  calf  never  missed  a  meal  or  suf- 
fered from  disturbed  digestion,  it  was  evident  that  it  could  not  long 
survive.  It  was  at  this  time  taking  over  a  half  bushel  of  grain  daily 
with  evident  relish.  It  was  now  killed  and  a  postmortem  exami- 
nation revealed  nothing  peculiar  in  the  development  of  the  internal 
organs.  A  great  quantity  of  food  was  found  in  the  stomachs,  but 
there  was  no  sign  of  inflammation,  or  of  internal  disturbance  of  any 
kind.  The  one  noteworthy  feature  of  the  carcass  was  the  absolute 
lack  of  fat,  either  external,  or  internal.  This,  together  with  the 
plumpness  of  the  muscles,  left  the  outlines  of  each  clearly  defined 
and  not  obscured  as  is  the  case  in  normal  specimens  in  which  the 
connective  tissue  even  in  thin  animals  carries  considerable  fat. 

EXPERIMENT  No.  2. — Calf  the  offspring  of  a  high  grade 
Holstein-Friesian  cow  and  a  Jersey  bull,  dropped  June  17,  1895, 
and  weighed  at  birth  107  pounds.  After  the  sixth  day  he  was  put 
on  a  diet  of  skimmed  milk  alone,  of  which  he  consumed  950  pounds 
before  the  first  of  August,  or  25  pounds  per  day. 

During  the  month  of  August  he  consumed  1130  pounds  of  milk, 
did  very  well  and  weighed  at  the  end  of  the  month  197  pounds. 
In  69  days  the  calf  had  gained  90  pounds  at  the  expense  of  2080 
pounds  of  skimmed  milk,  or  in  the  proportion  of  I  to  23.  He  had 
evinced  a  strong  appetite  for  coarse  food  and  was  kept  well  muzzled. 

September. — Milk  consumed,  130x3  pounds;  weight,  245  pounds; 
gain,  48  pounds,  or  nearly  I  to  27.  Calf  vigorous  and  has  a 
ravenous  appetite ;  bawls  for  food  and  is  not  satisfied  even  with 
50  pounds  of  milk  a  day. 

October. — Milk  consumed,  1600  pounds;  weight,  285  pounds  ; 
gain,  40  pounds,  or  I  to  40.  A  pronounced  stiffness  in  the  joints. 

November. — Milk  consumed,  1533  pounds;  weight,  291  pounds; 


1897.}  GROWING   CATJLE   WITHOUT   COARSE   FEED.  365 

gain,  6  pounds,  or  I  to  255.  Stiffness  increasing  and  accompanied 
by  a  lessened  activity  and  appetite.  No  longer  appears  restless 
and  no  longer  bawls  for  food. 

December. — Milk  consumed,  1313  pounds;  weight,  297  pounds; 
gain,  6  pounds,  or  I  to  219.  Calf  in  a  bad  condition,  very  stiff  and 
with  very  little  inclination  to  move.  Seemed  indifferent  as  to 
whether  it  eats  or  not  and  is  not  found. up  awaiting  its  food. 

January. — Up  to  the  i  ith  of  the  month  the  calf  drank  250  pounds 
of  milk  and  weighed  333  pounds,  having  apparently  gained  36 
pounds  in  eleven  days  on  250  pounds  of  milk,  or  i  to  7.  Seven 
months  on  an  exclusive  diet  of  skimmed  milk. 

January  n. — Calf  refused  to  get  up  or  to  take  milk.  It  did 
not  hold  its  head  up  and  seemed  nearly  dead.  At  8  o'clock  A.  M. 
hay  and  straw  were  put  before  it  and  it  ate  greedily,  evincing  no 
choice  between  the  two,  and  at  II  o'clock  A.  M.,  three  hours  after 
taking  coarse  food,  it  was  ruminating  for  the  first  time  in  its  life 
and  exhibited  a  brightened  eye  and  a  most  contented  expression 
of  countenance.  Before  night  it  was  standing  up  and  moving 
about.  Drank  6>£  pounds  of  milk. 

January  12. — Morning:  Calf  ate  hay  and  straw  thirty  minutes 
and  drank  $%  pounds  of  milk.  Evening:  It  ate  hay  and  straw 
thirty-five  minutes  and  drank  14^  pounds  of  milk. 

January  13. — Ate  i|^  pounds  of  hay  and  drank  16  pounds  of 
milk.  Greatly  improved. 

January  14. — Hay,  2  pounds  ;  milk,  23  pounds. 

January  15. — Hay,  2%  pounds;  milk,  27  pounds. 

January  16. — Hay,  \y2  pounds;  milk,  17  pounds. 

January  17. — Hay,  I  pound;  milk,  19  pounds. 

January  18. — Hay,  i  pound;  milk,  26  pounds. 

January  19. — Hay,  \y±  pounds;  milk,  29  pounds. 

January  20. — Hay,  i^  pounds;  milk,  34  pounds.  Legs 
straightening. 

January  21  to  28. — Hay,  10  pounds;  milk,  120  pounds;  oats,  12 
pounds.  Improving. 

January  28  to  February  4. — Hay,  11  pounds;  milk,  131  pounds; 
oats,  13  pounds.  Weighed  343  pounds. 

February  4  to  II. — Hay,  12^  pounds;  milk,  140  pounds;  oats, 
1 1  pounds;  weight,  350  pounds;  gain,  7  pounds.  Improving. 

February  12. — Took  first  play  in  pen  for  four  months. 

February  n  to  18. — Hay,  16^  pounds;  oil  meal,  5  pounds; 
milk,  200  pounds;  weight,  365  pounds;  gain,  15  pounds. 

February  18  to  25. — -Hay,  20  pounds;  oil  meal,  6  pounds;  oats, 
183^  pounds;  milk,  360  pounds;  weight,  370  pounds;  gain,  5  pounds. 
Very  playful  in  pen. 


366 


BULLETIN   NO.   46. 


January, 


February  25  to  March  3. — Hay,  14  pounds;  oats,  corn,  and 
wheat,  equal  parts  mixed,  9  pounds;  milk,  200  pounds;  weight,  385 
pounds;  gain,  15  pounds.  Improving  wonderfully  and  getting 
straight  in  the  joints. 

March  3  to  10. — Hay,  20  pounds;  oats,  bran,  ground  corn,  and 
wheat  mixed  in  equal  parts,  18  pounds;  milk,  240  pounds;  weight, 
406  pounds;  gain,  21  pounds.* 

March  10  to  17. — Hay,  18  pounds;  mixed  feed  as  above,  20 
pounds;  milk,  300  pounds. 

March  17  to  24. — Hay,  20  pounds;  mixed  feed,  40  pounds;  milk, 
300  pounds. 

March  31. — Ate  during  last  seven  days  35  pounds  mixed  feed 
with  milk,  hay,  and*  silage  at  will,  and  was  in  every  respect  well, 
hearty,  and  growing,  and  as  able  and  as  disposed  to  be  active  as 
was  any  calf  in  the  barn.  Experiment  closed. 

This  was  practically  a  case  of  raising  from  the  dead,  and  to 
those  who  watched  intently  the  decline  and  the  recovery  it  was  a 
lasting  lesson  upon  the  requirements  of  constitutional  habit. 

EXPERIMENT  No.  3. — Grade  Jersey  dropped  May  i,  1896. 
Deprived  of  coarse  food. 

Record  of  feed  and  weights  in  pounds. 


Date. 

Milk. 

Weight. 

Gain. 

Remarks. 

May  i  to  June  i  

CQJ. 

June  i  to  17       

J.IQ 

iic 

(une  17  to  24   ... 

182 

TCI 

16 

Doing  well 

June  24  to  July  i  

2C.2 

ICC 

4 

Good  appetite  and  plenty  of  life 

July  i  to  8  

224 

162 

7 

July  8  to  15  

22O 

164 

2 

Plenty  of  life. 

July   15  to  22  

24O 

184 

2O 

Good  appetite  but  reeling  walk 

July  22  to  29  

1O  I 

187 

a 

Good  appetite  but  getting  weak. 

July  29  to  August  5  

4OO 

IQ2 

c 

August  5  to  12    

4.IJ. 

108 

6 

Doing  well. 

August  12  to  19           .... 

4IO 

200 

2 

Straight    and    smooth'    joints    all 

August  19  to  26  

5OO 

2m 

1C 

right  as  yet. 
Plays  freely. 

August  26  to  September  2. 
September  2  to  9  

540 
5OO 

217 

2&C. 

48 

September  9  to  16  

517 

260 

-5 

Doing  well. 

September  16  to  23  

447 

Note  here  says  that  calf  is  not  doing  well  and  seems  not  to  be 
satisfied  with  its  food,  although  it  has  been  taking  more  than  70 
pounds  of  milk  per  day  for  over  a  month. 


GROWING   CATTLE   WITHOUT   COARSE   FEED. 


367 


Date.                             Milk. 

Grain. 

Remarks. 

September 

u 
October 

u 

If 

H 
U 

24.  . 

4i# 
47 

32^ 
40 

30 
36^ 
42 

50^ 
32 

23^ 
37^ 
42 

47  K 
10 

4 
6^ 
7 

3 
8 
5K 
4 
7 
6^ 

0 

Equal  parts  corn  and  oats. 

Weight,  271  pounds. 
Doing  well. 

Weight,  258  pounds. 

25  

26  

27.  . 

28  

2Q.  . 

•3O 

2  

c 

6  

7  

Not  doing  well  and  given  some  hay  ;  five  and  one-half  hours 
before  ruminating  was  begun. 


Date. 

Milk. 

Hay. 

Grain. 

Remarks. 

Octotx 

u 

MS  

8 
9>A 

21 
22^ 
21* 

2^ 
2 

I* 

2^ 
I 

3 
5^ 
4 
3* 

2^ 

Mixed  as  above. 
Calf  greatly  improved. 

10  

u  :  

12  

From  here  on  the  experiment  may  be  considered  as  closed,  for 
it  enjoyed  a  mixed  feed  like  other  calves,  and  speedily  fully 
recovered.  Like  its  predecessors  the  first  symptom  of  approach- 
ing starvation,  for  that  is  what  the  effect  of  such  a  diet  most 
resembles,  was  an  increased  appetiteand  an  enormous  consumption 
of  food  that  seemed  not  to  satisfy.  Later,  however,  when  the 
symptoms  were  fully  developed,  the  animal  seemed  entirely 
indifferent  to  food. 

EXPERIMENT  No.  4.  High  grade  Jersey.  To  be  weaned 
early  and  put  on  an  exclusive  diet  of  grain. 

June  3,  1896. — Calf  two  weeks  old  and  taking  20  pounds  of 
milk  daily. 


Date. 

Milk. 

Grain. 

Bran. 

Oats. 

Water. 

Weight. 

Gain. 

Remarks. 

June      17 

280 

IO7 

June      24 

280 

17/4 

112 

5 

Grain  equal  parts  by  weight, 

July         i 

280 

21 

122 

IO 

corn,  oats,  and  wheat  ground. 

Tuly        8 

280 

21 

no 

8 

Julv       15 

2IO 

IO 

1-17 

7 

Grain  equal  parts  by  weight 

July       22 

I4O 

nlA 

ieo 

M 

corn  and  oats  ground 

luly       2q 

08 

18 

IC2 

2 

August   5 

84 

20      • 

15 

14.1 

-8 

Getting  poor. 

August  12 
August  19 
August  26 
September 

40 

o 
o 
o 

22^ 
20 

VX 

10% 

i8>4 

10 

4 

4 

7 
15 
if> 

30 

21^ 
O 
O 

145 
143 
135 
1  2O 

i 

-2 

-8 
-15 

Not  doing  well. 
Had  3  Ib.  oil  cake. 
2]4  Ib.  oil  cake. 
Appetite  not  good. 

368  BULLETIN  NO.  46. 

Note  here  says  that  calf  has  no  desire  for  food  and  will  not 
get  up. 

September  5. — Calf  took  a  little  milk;  has  refused  water 
for  two  weeks. 

September  6. — Calf  drank  8  pounds  of  milk  and  seemed  to 
enjoy  it. 

September  7. — Refused  milk  in  the  morning,  but  drank  3 
pounds  in  the  afternoon. 

September  8. — Refused  all  food. 

September  9. — Drank  8  pounds  of  milk  and  ate  3  pounds  of 
oats.  Bloated  badly.  It  weighed  now  167  pounds  and  had  appar- 
ently gained  24  pounds  since  August  20th,  when  it  refused  water 
and  since  which  time  it  had  drunk  but  19  pounds.  It  weighed  47 
pounds  more  than  on  September  3d,  when  it  refused  all  food  and 
drink  and  since  which  time  it  had  consumed  but  3  pounds  of  oats 
and  19  pounds  of  milk,  not  counting  the  few  swallows  recorded  as 
"a  little." 

The  query  is  as  to  the  source  of  this  gain,  and  it  would  be 
most  readily  chargeable  to  error  were  it  not  that  a  like  increase 
had  been  noted  in  both  No.  2  and  No.  3  at  a  similar  stage  in  the 
experiment. 

September  10. — Drank  4  pounds  of  water  and  ate  2  pounds  of 
bran. 

September  n. — Drank  12  pounds  of  water  and  ate  4  pounds 
of  mixed  grain.  Appetite  is  better  and  the  calf  seems  to  be 
improving. 

September  12. — Water,  23^  pounds;  mixed  grain,  4  pounds. 

September  13. — Water,  27  pounds;  bran,  ij^  pounds;  whole 
oats,  2  pounds. 

September  14. — Water,  28  pounds;  bran,  2  pounds;  oats,  3 
pounds. 

September  15. — Water,  17%  pounds;  mixed  grain,  7  pounds. 

September  16. — Water,  g%  pounds  ;  mixed  grain,  6^  pounds. 

With  this  increase  of  appetite  and  brightened  appearance  it 
looked  as  if  this  calf  would,  as  had  its  predecessors,  rally  for  a 
time  at  least  without  hay,  but  almost  without  warning  it  sickened 
and  died.  This  was  the  first  calf  to  show  signs  of  a  disturbed 
digestion. 

DISCUSSION. 

A  close  study  of  these  animals,  their  feed,  gains,  and  attendant 
symptoms  discloses  certain  peculiar  and  not  a  few  abnormal  and 
puzzling  facts. 

RUMINATION. — From  the  first  it  had  been  a  query  whether 
anything  like  normal  rumination  would  follow  the  consumption  of 


GROWING  CATTLE   WITHOUT   COARSE   FEED.  369 

coarse  grains  like  bran  or  oats  in  the  absence  of  coarser  food  ; 
but  the  closest  observation  failed  to  discover  it  until  hay  or  straw 
was  taken.  No.  2  was  contentedly  chewing  his  cud  for  the  first 
time  at  7  months  of  age,  3  hours  after  his  first  meal  of  hay.  With 
No.  3  it  was  not  until  5^  hours  after  the  first  meal  of  hay  that 
rumination  was  noticed,  and  Nos.  I  and  4  never  ruminated. 

ABSENCE  OF  FAT  AND  CHARACTER  OF  FLESH. — The  total 
absence  of  fat  either  internal  or  external  as  revealed  on  post- 
mortem examination,  particularly  after  the  enormous  amounts  of 
food  consumed,  is  unaccountable.  No.  I  at  six  months  of  age  was 
taking  about  y2  bushel  of  mixed  grain  per  day,  yet  no  fat  was  to 
be  found  even  about  the  kidneys.  But  the  muscles  were  hot 
shrunken  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  were  plump  and  exceedingly 
dense.  The  animals  would  all  attract  instant  attention.  At  a 
glance  they  looked  poor,  yet  they  were  not  thin  like  those  that 
have  suffered  from  insufficient  food.  Upon  touching  with  the 
hand  it  would  be  noted  instantly  that  the  muscles  were  exceed- 
ingly hard,  and  that  the  general  appearance  of  the  animals  is 
approached  by  those  only  that  have  been  long  on  dry  pasture 
with  insufficient  water. 

ENORMOUS  CONSUMPTION  OF  FOOD. — These  experiments 
serve  an  important  purpose  in  showing  that  the  amount  of  food 
that  is  consumed  is  no  indication  of  its  economic  use,  and  that 
enormous  amounts  may  be  taken  in  the  vain  attempt  to  satisfy 
an  abnormal  appetite.  These  animals  were  wanting  something 
that  they  could  not  get,  and  with  the  appetite  of  the  first  stages 
of  dyspepsia,  ate  everything  in  sight.  This  is  one  of  the  symp- 
toms of  insufficient  nutrition,  which  is  but  another  name  for  the 
early  stages  of  starvation,  and  is  a  condition  of  things  that  the 
careless  feeder  often  brings  upon  his  stock  by  poor  care  or  insuffi- 
cient food  in  early  winter.  That  the  rally,  if  made  at  all,  will  be 
made  at  great  expense  of  food  is  more  clearly  shown  in  these 
experiments  than  by  data  heretofore  possessed. 

No.  i  ate  at  six  months  of  age  a  half  bushel  of  mixed  grain 
per  day.  At  two  months  of  age  No.  2  ate  40  pounds  of  milk  daily 
and  rose  to  over  50  pounds  at  four  months,  which  proved  inade- 
quate to  its  wants.  After  being  allowed  hay  the  same  calf  made 
gains  amounting  to  from  2  to  3  pounds  a  day  on  a  ration  of  from 
2  to  3  pounds  of  hay,  2j^  to  3  pounds  of  grain,  and  30  to  35  pounds 
of  milk.  No.  3  went  to  pieces  at  between  four  and  five  months 
after  consuming  an  average  of  71^  pounds  of  milk  daily  for  five 
weeks.  This  is  35  quarts  per  day,  and  it  seems  almost  inconceiv- 
able that  a  Jersey  calf,  at  less  than  four  months,  could  consume  so 
much. 


370  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  r January, 

NON-DISTURBANCE  OF  DIGESTION.— It  would  seem  that  such 
inordinate  amounts  of  food  must  destroy  a  calf  or  at  least  lead  to 
complicated  disturbances  within  the  machinery  of  digestion.  In 
none  but  the  last  (No.  4)  was  any  disorder  of  the  kind  noted.  The 
bowels  remained  regular  throughout  and  the  droppings  appeared 
normal.  It  raises  a  query  as  to  the  extent  to  which  digestion  was 
really  accomplished  and  whether  failure  was  primarily  in  the 
digestive  apparatus,  or  in  the  metabolic  processes  of  the  body. 

GAINS. — Some  of  the  gains  secured  are  worth  noting.  No. 
2  in  the  first  loo  days  gained  138  pounds  on  3380  pounds  of 
skimmed  milk,  or  I  pound  of  gain  for  25  pounds  of  milk.  The 
same  calf  increased  from  107  pounds  to  333  pounds  at  seven 
months,  a  gain  of  226  pounds,  on  an  exclusive  diet  of  skimmed 
milk.  But  the  limit  was  reached  and  gains  as  high  as  3  pounds  per 
day  were  made  later  on  a  moderate  feed  of  hay,  grain,  and  milk. 
No.  3  gained  less  on  his  diet  of  milk  and  in  90  days  gained  109 
pounds  on  4739  pounds  of  milk,  or  I  pound  of  gain  for  43  of  milk. 
No.  3,  although  much  smaller  than  No.  2,  ate  more  milk,  as  will  be 
seen,  and  put  on  less  gain. 

SUDDEN  APPARENT  HEAVY  GAINS.— It  will  be  remembered 
that  No.  2  appeared  to  have  gained  36  pounds  in  the  eleven  days 
just  before  its  collapse ;  that  No.  3  apparently  gained  48  pounds 
in  the  seven  days  from  September  2d  to  9th  and  went  "  off"  imme- 
diately after,  and  that  No.  4  September  9th  weighed  47  pounds 
more  than  it  did  six  days  before,  although  it  could  not  have  con- 
sumed in  the  meantime  more  than  that  amount  of  food.  Some 
allowance  must  be  made  for  the  inaccuracy  of  gains  computed 
from  a  difference  in  consecutive  weights  and  an  error  in  weights  is 
always  possible  ;  but  the  substantial  agreement,  in  all  cases,  in  a 
sudden  and  extreme  increase  of  weight  just  before  a  collapse  is,  to 
say  the  least,  surprising  and  difficult  of  explanation,  especially  in 
the  case  of  No.  4,  in  which  the  material  appears  to  be  wanting. 
The  difficulty  is  not  lessened  by  the  fact  that  this  occurred  once 
and  once  only  with  each  calf. 

UNIFORMITY  OF  SYMPTOMS. — All  agreed  substantially  in  the 
essential  symptoms  resulting  from  deprivation  of  coarse  food;  viz., 
a  ravenous  appetite  followed  by  enlargement  and  stiffening  of 
joints,  spells  of  dizziness  and  difficult  locomotion,  all  followed  by 
periods  of  relief  and,  finally,  by  a  settled  feeling  of  indifference  to 
food.  This  indifference  could  be  removed  temporarily  by  any 
change  of  food,  but  permanently  by  coarse  food  only,  which  never 
failed  to  effect  a  restoration  to  normal  conditions. 

STARVATION. — These  experiments  considered  in  connection 
with  common  observation  and  experience  seem  to  teach  that 


7c?07-]  GROWING   CATTLE   WITHOUT   COARSE   FEED.  371 

whether  food  be  insufficient  in  quantity  or  imperfectly  adapted  in 
quality  to  the  needs  of  the  animal  the  result  is  the  same,  defective 
nutrition,  which  is  in  no  sense  different  from  starvation. 

It  may  be  argued  that  depriving  milk  of  its  fat  violated  a  law 
of  nature.  The  teaching  has  been,  however,  that  the  casein  would 
be  a  full  equivalent  if  in  sufficient  quantity,  and  the  fact  is  clear 
that  all  these  calves  that  were  put  on  a  diet  of  skimmed  milk 
flourished  remarkably  well  till  at  the  age  of  four  or  five  months. 

However  that  may  be,  they  all  failed  to  sustain  the  demands 
of  life  on  any  diet  until  a  ration  of  hay  or  straw  was  added  and 
then,  as  in  the  case  of  Nos.  2  and  3,  made  a  rapid  recovery. 
Further,  from  the  first  the  attendant  symptoms  were  those 
characteristic  of  slow  starvation;  viz.,  a  ravenous  appetite  soon 
giving  place  to  a  disturbance  of  the  nerve  centers  and,  later,  an 
entire  indifference  to  food  and  a  total  loss  of  appetite. 

As  starvation  in  mature  animals  is  accompanied  by  a  wasting 
of  the  tissues,  especially  fat,  so  here  starvation  by  imperfect 
nutrition  during  development  resulted  in  the  total  absence  of  fat. 

As  bearing  upon  the  more  general  principles  of  physiological 
requirements  and  body  behavior,  it  may  be  said  that  these  calves 
have  exhibited  phenomena  notably  similar  to  those  of  ill-fed  chil- 
dren, as  they  have  been  studied  by  the  writer  in  the  tropics  and 
observed  to  some  extent  in  certain  quarters  of  great  cities.  In 
hot  countries  a  very  little  food  will  sustain  life  in  a  mature  body, 
but  the  demands  of  growing  children  are  more  exacting  and  they 
may  be  seen  by  hundreds  tucked  away  in  obscure  corners,  with 
face  in  hands,  exhibiting  that  characteristic  expression  that  may 
be  called  the  starved  look  and  that  is  easily  detected  in  human 
being  or  in  animal  wherever  present. 

There  is  a  popular  belief  that  starvation  in  all  its  stages  is  an 
acute  and  painful  condition  incident  only  upon  insufficient  amounts 
of  food.  There  could  be  no  greater  error.  The  acute  stage  soon 
passes  and  there  is  only  a  nameless  and  dull  yearning  left  till  life 
is  extinct.  These  experiments  appear  to  teach  that  starvation 
partial  or  complete  may  ensue  upon  an  apparently  slight  inter- 
ference with  constitutional  habit. 

E.  DAVENPORT,  M.  AGR.,  Director. 


372  BULLETIN  NO.  46.  {January,  1897. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES,  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS. 

JAMES  E.  ARMSTRONG,  Chicago,  President. 
JOHN  R.  TANNER,  Springfield,  Governor  of  Illinois. 
J.  IRVING  PEARCE,  Chicago,  President  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 
SAMUEL  M.  INGLIS,  Springfield,  Superintendent  Public  Instruction. 
RICHARD  P.  MORGAN,  Dwight.  ISAAC  S.  RAYMOND,  Sidney. 

DR.  JULIA  H.  SMITH,  Chicago.  SAMUEL  A.  BULLARD,  Springfield. 

NELSON  W.  GRAHAM,  Carbondale.  ALEXANDER  McLEAN,  Macomb. 

NAPOLEON  B.  MORRISON,  Odin  MRS.  LUCY  L.  FLOWER,  Chicago 

ADVISORY  BOARD  OF  THE  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

THOMAS  J.  BURRILL,  PH.D..  Urbana,  Prof,  of  Botany  and  Horticulture,  Pres. 
E.  E.  CHESTER,  Champaign,  of  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

E.  A.  RIEHL,  Alton,  of  State  Horticultural  Society. 
H.  B.  GURLER,  DeKalb,  of  State  Dairymen's  Association. 

N.  B.  MORRISON,  Odin,  Trustee  of  the  University. 

ISAAC  S.  RAYMOND,  Sidney,  Trustee  of  the  University. 

ANDREW  S.  DRAPER,  LL.D.,  President  of  the  University. 

STEPHEN  A.  FORBES,  PH.D.,  Urbana,  Professor  of  ZoSlogy. 

EUGENE  DAVENPORT,  M.  AGR.,  Urbana,  Professor  of  Animal  Husbandry. 

THE  STATION  STAFF. 

EUGENE  DAVENPORT,  M.AGR.,  Agriculturist,  Director. 

WILLIAM  L.  PILLSBURY,  A.M.,  Urbana,  Secretary. 
THOMAS  J.  BURRILL.  PH.D.,  Horticulturist  and  Botanist. 

CYRIL  GEORGE  HOPKINS,   M.S.,  Chemist. 

STEPHEN  A.  FORBES,  PH.D.,  Consulting  Entomologist. 

DONALD  McINTOSH,  V.S..  Consulting  Veterinarian. 

GEORGE  P.  CLINTON,  M.S.,  Assistant  Botanist. 

WILBER  J.  ERASER,  B.S.,  Assistant  in  Dairying. 

PERRY  G.  HOLDEN,  M.S.,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 

JOSEPH  C.  BLAIR,  Assistant  Horticulturist. 


'    rJJ      s*  3  ;-~ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


